K-pop has become a worldwide phenomenon in the past decade. In fact, this phenomenon has a specific term–hallyu, which translates to the “Korean Wave”. Amazingly, according to a 2011 survey conducted by the South Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the total number of active members of Hallyu fan clubs worldwide was estimated at 3.3 million. There are numerous reasons as to why Korean entertainment has gained so much love. Much of the success of the Korean Wave is due in part to the development of social media and online video sharing platforms such as YouTube.

In the past, however, there was very little response from Americans as attempted U.S. debuts by artists such as BoA failed to gain traction. Despite this, K-pop has recently seen increasing popularity throughout the U.S., with a dedicated and growing global fanbase. Korean artisit Psy’s video for “Gangnam Style” went viral in 2012 and became the first YouTube video to reach over a billion views, exposing many American viewers to K-Pop for the first time.

Now, step by step, some K-Pop artists are finding integrating themselves into the crowd of mainstream American artists. For example, a Korean artist named CL, known by her fans as one of the queens of K-Pop, debuted as a solo artist in the U.S. in 2015. Her lead single, “Lifted”, appeared in the Top 30 of iTunes’ Hip-Hop/Rap chart within three hours of being released. TIME Magazine noted CL as the “future of K-Pop in America”. She even guest-starred on The Late Late Show with James Corden.

Many well-known American artists have collaborated with K-Pop artists. Taemin, a member of the popular boy band SHINee, was gifted with a single written by Bruno Mars. Mars wrote the lead single “Press Your Number” for Taemin’s first solo studio album. Moreover, 4Minute, a recently disbanded group, came back with a song composed and arranged by Skrillex. Most recently, in December of 2016, Far East Movement featured Tiffany from Girls’ Generation as she sang in their dance-pop track “Don’t Speak”.

For many K-pop fans, the integration process between American music and K-Pop was a long one. Luckily, the talents of K-pop stars have not entirely gone unrecognized by American music producers and artists. After all, great music is created when great minds come together!